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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29865120">When Winter's Come and All The Flowers Are Dying</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mal_not_Otto/pseuds/Mal_not_Otto'>Mal_not_Otto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>H.I.V.E. Series - Mark Walden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Idk how to tag things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:14:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29865120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mal_not_Otto/pseuds/Mal_not_Otto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nero experienced loss before. Of friends. Of colleagues. Even loss of students.</p><p>But this was different.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Otto Malpense &amp; Maximilian Nero</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When Winter's Come and All The Flowers Are Dying</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Me (mal) and olly wrote this! I just can't add him to it because of his settings whoops.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nero couldn't react in time.</p><p>He shot the attacker, but it was too late. He dropped the gun and rushed over to the white haired boy on the ground.</p><p>"Otto!" He cried out, kneeling down next to Otto.</p><p>The boy looked up at Nero, a look of fear in his eyes, "Nero… Nero I don't want to die." </p><p>Nero carefully picked up the small kid, "Shh, it's ok. Help will arrive soon."</p><p>He knew Otto wouldn't make it. The bullet wound was fatal. Even if the others arrived before he died, there would be nothing they could do.</p><p>Otto managed to pull himself up, wrapping his arms around Nero and clinging to the man's shirt. He rested his head against Nero's shoulder. Nero felt the rapid rise and fall of the kid's chest, and heard his labored breaths, "I'm scared… I don't want to die yet."</p><p>"You won't." Nero lied, "Help will arrive soon. Just stay strong until then."</p><p>Otto stayed silent for a moment. </p><p>Nero felt panic in his chest as he held the small boy close, “Kid? Malpense. Talk to me!” he ordered, his nails digging in slightly as he tried to find the wound to put pressure on it. He knew there was no point, though.</p><p>"I'm scared…" Otto finally mumbled, his voice slightly muffled. </p><p>“You’ll be fine! It’ll all be okay!” He sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself, his voice panicked as he smiled down at him. Hands shaking in his desperate attempt to stay calm, to breathe. </p><p>"Am I gonna live? Am I going to see the others again?" Otto asked, sounding weaker. "Nero please…. I don't want to die."</p><p>The poor kid sounded so desperate. So scared.</p><p>Nero didn't answer. He hugged Otto and just held him close. Not wanting to have to face the inevitably of the entire situation.</p><p>Eventually, he’d succumbed to the voice inside of him screaming that there was no point as he stared down at the weak boy clinging to him. "Otto, I'm proud of you."</p><p>"For what?" Otto wheezed.</p><p>"For how far you've come. I still remember seeing you on that first day. Now look at you, a hero. You saved everyone." Nero tried to choke back those tears, "Ironic, isn't it? You were trained to be a villain."</p><p>Otto gave a weak chuckle, "Yea…"</p><p>Otto's grip on Nero's shirt started to loosen. Nero just kept holding back the tears.</p><p>"Nero?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Thank you." His eyes fluttered shut, "thank you for being there for me… for believing in me…"</p><p>"You're welcome…" Nero responded. He felt tears start to stream down his face.</p><p>"Thank you so much…" Those were the last words he heard when he felt Otto go limp in his arms. </p><p>That's when the tears flowed. He held the boy close, his body shaking with every sob.</p><p>Nero experienced loss before. Of friends. Of colleagues. Even loss of students.</p><p>But this was different.</p><p>Otto's existence was Nero's fault. If he had just listened. If he had just waited two more weeks. </p><p>None of this would've happened.</p><p>The boy wouldn't be lying dead in his arms.</p><p>“I’ll make them pay for this” He hissed, vision blurry with tears. “I swear.”</p><p>He looked up when he heard footsteps approaching. He saw Wing running towards them, the three girls close behind.</p><p>"OTTO!" Wing screamed, falling to his knees next to Nero.</p><p>"There wasn't a lot I could do. I'm sorry Wing." Nero placed a hand on the angry boy's shoulder, "Don't worry, though. The people who did this won't last for long."</p><p>Raven drew her katanas, "I'll get to it."</p><p>"Thank you, Natalya." Nero looked back at the boy in his arms, "I want you to make them <em>suffer</em>. Show no mercy."</p>
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